Two people have been rescued after they were found clinging onto the side of their sinking speedboat in Lough Neagh – the largest freshwater lake in Northern Ireland.

The pair were found by the Ardboe lifeboat on Sunday night (7 May), around one mile west of Gawleys Gate.

Both of them were retrieved from the water and were taken by the Ardboe crew to Crumlin Marina at Sandy Bay where they were met by paramedics with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

They were treated on shore for the effects of hypothermia before being taken to hospital for observation.

On its Facebook page, Lough Neagh Rescue (LNR), an independent charity which runs the Ardboe lifeboat, said: “This was a time critical incident and the skipper on board the casualty vessel did everything right, firstly both persons on board were wearing PFD’d (Personal Flotation Devices), at the first sign of trouble they contacted the Coastguard, gave location of vessel, the nature of the emergency and the number of persons on board.”

The speedboat being towed to safety. Credit: Lough Neagh Rescue

“This ultimately saved valuable time in the search and was a contributing factor to the successful outcome,” it continued.

“LNR has since learned that the casualties have been released from hospital and we wish them a speedy recovery. We would also like to thank the member of the public who provided an additional blanket for the casualties whilst in Crumlin Marina,” it stated.